Why Is Effective Communication in the Workplace Important?

Effective communication in the workplace is important because it allows managers and employees to share vital information, which helps companies succeed. Effective communication, also called open communication, prevents barriers from forming among individuals within companies that might impede progress in striving to reach a common goal. For businesses to function as desired, managers and upper-level employees must be able to interact clearly and effectively with each other through verbal communication and non-verbal communication to achieve specific business goals.

Individuals in organizations engage in two types of communication: verbal and nonverbal. Verbal communication involves actions, such as direct speech, while nonverbal communication involves communication using writing and body language to express ideas and convey emotions. Communication can be further broken down into several categories, which are open communication and closed communication, positive and negative communication and effective or ineffective communication.

Open communication is sometimes used synonymously with effective communication; it is characterized by an environment in which individuals in companies can freely and comfortably express ideas and concepts during meetings, conversations and debates. Workers engage in positive communication when they feel that their ideas are heard and considered valuable. Effective communication takes place when employees at all levels in an organization feel that they are collaborating with one another to achieve a common end goal to advance the goal or mission of the company.